Richard Lawrence Edwards

Richard Lawrence Edwards
Other names	Larry Edwards, R. Lawrence Edwards
Alma mater	California Institute of Technology
Known for	Improving uranium-thorium dating techniques
Awards	Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship of the National Academy of Sciences Fellow National Academy of Sciences National Medal of Science
Scientific career
Fields	Geochemical Principles, Isotope Geology, Uranium–thorium dating
Thesis	High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary (1988)
Doctoral advisor	Gerald J. Wasserburg
Website	https://cse.umn.edu/esci/r-lawrence-edwards

Richard Lawrence "Larry" Edwards is an American geochemist and Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota.[1] He is one of the most cited and respected geochemists in the world,[2] and is well-known for his contributions to modernizing the uranium-thorium (Th-230) radiometric dating technique.[2]

Edwards earned his Ph.D from the California Institute of Technology in 1988 after studying under Gerald J. Wasserburg.[3] His thesis, entitled High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary, discusses the usage of Th-230 dating in the examination of corals at Santo and Malekula Islands, Vanuatu.[3]

Edwards has made notable contributions to anthropology through dating a jawbone at 100000 years old, suggesting that modern humans had inhabited the area of China where the bone was found earlier than previously thought.[4] His collaborations with geochemist Hai Cheng have led to the largest number of environmental science papers published in Nature Index journals by a pair of geochemists.[5]

On January 3rd, 2025, Dr. Edwards received the highly prestigious National Medal of Science.[6]

References

1. "R. Lawrence Edwards". College of Science and Engineering. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
2. "These two geochemists have one of the largest publishing networks in science". Nature Index. 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
3. Edwards, Richard Lawrence (1988). High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary (phd thesis). California Institute of Technology.
4. "R. Lawrence 'Larry' Edwards". University of Minnesota. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
5. "These two geochemists have one of the largest publishing networks in science". Nature Index. 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
6. "President Biden Honors Nation's Leading Scientists, Technologists, and Innovators | The White House". White House. 2025-01-04. Archived from the original on 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.